Keep yourself warm on those chilly nights and enjoy the beauty and charm this quilt brings to your home! Lovingly made and donated by The Emerald Coast Modern Quilt Guild.

Winner will be announced on May 1st during the American Legion Post #235 Charity Ride Event

Visit the raffle site here!

Your raffle donations will be given in support to our Therapeutic Riding program, specifically toward rider scholarships. Not all riders are able to pay the full monthly riding tuition; but we try to take as many as we can through the generous donations of those like yourself, with the offer of a discounted tuition price.

~What's New at HHS~

Meet our new mini addition to the herd: Tucker!

We now have a beautiful seating area between the TR pastures where families can relax and wait while their riders are having lessons.

Thank you to the awesome linemen from Florida Power & Light for your help in creating this peaceful space!

Insurance Updates - We now accept the following insurances in our Mental Health Counseling Program:

• Tricare Prime / Select
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (PPO Only)
• Cigna
• United Healthcare / UMR
• CHAMPVA
• Sunshine Health Medicaid (Mental Health & Therapeutic Riding)
• Humana Medicaid (Mental Health & Therapeutic Riding)

Some of these may require referrals. New clients should call our office at 850-764-1005 for more information.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Tuesday, March 29th 11am Santa Rosa County Chamber Ribbon Cutting
• Saturday, April 2nd  11a-4pm Duke Field 919th Special Operations Wing 50th Anniversary Celebration
• Sunday, May 1st American Legion Post #235 hosts their 5th Annual & Charity Ride supporting Healing Hoof Steps
• Sunday, July 3rd Destin Commons Smoke On The Coast with our BBQ Partner Market 21
• Friday, September 23rd & Saturday September 24th, PAR 4 PATRIOTS Golf and Gala Event at the new Blackwater Golf Club in Crestview! Benefitting Healing Hoof Steps, Defenders of Freedom Florida and Fairways For Warriors!
• Saturday, October 22nd  Equestrian Challenge Event at Healing Hoof Steps

Now Looking For New Board Members!

Healing Hoof Steps is looking to expand our Board of Directors in 2022 in order to fulfill our mission to improve more lives through therapeutic engagement with horses.  With the exponential growth of our programs, so does the need to expand our board of directors.  We are looking for members of the community who would be interested in serving as a member of our board or as a member of one of our committees.  Ideal candidates must be passionate about one or more of these service areas:  fundraising, events, construction, networking, mental health, animals,  finance, legal or public service.  Quarterly board meetings occur onsite in Crestview.  Please email inquires to narissa@healinghoofsteps.org   

Healing Hoof Steps proudly offers two distinct programs providing healing for individuals ages 5 years and up in our community. Our EAGALA  mental health counseling program uses licensed mental health counselors and horses in non-riding activities where clients are immersed as part of a loose herd (www.eagala.org). These activities are specific to improve mental, emotional or behavioral concerns.  Our PATH Therapeutic Riding program uses certified instructors who lead riders in strategic, educational, and transformational activities on horseback to meet their personal goals (www.PATHintl.org).

Learn more at www.HealingHoofSteps.org 

        As a little girl who grew up in Fort Walton Beach, I always felt something missing in my life.  Sure, the sandy beaches were beautiful, the vast waterways were relaxing, and the fresh seafood was delicious, but something was still missing.  On road trips I would scour every open pasture hoping to see just one horse grazing in the field, then watch it fade into the distance.  My hometown is definitely not known for horses, naturally my family wondered where I developed such an attraction.  If there was a circus, a petting zoo, or any opportunity to have hands on a horse, I was there!  Owning or taking lessons was never an option growing up, so I drew horses in art contests and owned every toy horse I could find.
            It was in the early 1980’s when my father accompanied me on my first and only trail ride at a place called Randallwood Plantation.  I remember this day as if it were yesterday.  The horse I mounted was named Beau Jangles, a red and white paint horse with such an air of calmness as an excited, quasi-frightened little girl climbed into the saddle on his back.  As we slowly started down the trail, all the details of the trail suddenly came into focus- layers of earth and roots that lined a ravine with a small creek, colors of the leaves on each tree we passed, warmth of the sun as we entered a clearing, the smell of the leather saddle as the horse began to sweat, feeling connected to every tiny detail in the world around me.  It would be decades later until I would understand what happened that day.
            As humans we notoriously allow unnecessary notions, irrational feelings and insignificant opinions interfere with how we feel about ourselves and our world.  Our hectic lives, careers, calendars, and obligations get in the way of finding peace and purpose.  Horses teach us how to connect or re-connect with the world around us in a way that no other animal can.
            When horses came into my life (completely by accident), I was struggling to manage who I “thought” I should be and who I really was at the core.  I had let the noise of striving for acceptance and success distract me so long that I often felt lost.  All the professional and financial success was never enough to fill a lingering emptiness in my heart.  After a long workday, I would spend hours sitting with my horse in her large pasture at a boarding facility in central Florida.  Little by little that distracting noise began to drift away while a new sense of clarity emerged.  I began to feel peace with all my past decisins, good or bad, and release my innate desire to predict and control the future.  I was able to look at the world as ‘what is’ rather than ‘what should be’.  My heart-horse, Saideira, helped me to reconnect with myself and the world around me with the same clarity as Beau Jangles provided on that very first trail ride.  I was finally able to envision who I was and how this experience and passion could help others after a childhood love for horses developed into understanding my life purpose.
            Horses do not see us for who we pretend to be or the words we tell ourselves, instead, see us without judgement, prejudice or preconceived notions, responding only to what they see and feel right in front of them.  A softness exists even with a horse’s tremendous physical strength, together with a nurturing, emotional connection and respect to those in their herd, yet possess hypervigilance that allows a quick reaction to survive in the face of any dangers or threat.  Horses learn from each other through mirroring members within their herds but also respect the hierarchy.  They offer that same mirror to humans that cross their paths - if the humans are willing to stop and look.  This unique ability can allow us to see what lies beyond the surface we project and the truth that lies within our hearts.  That truth just might be the key to living a more fulfilling life.  It is my hope that everyone finds the courage to take that first introspective step, that very step that permitted the dream of Healing Hoof Steps to become today’s reality. 

Spring Forward Into Giving

As we Spring Forward with the changing of time, Healing Hoof Steps will be open later and thus able to help more clients. Your one-time or reoccurring gift will help us to continue our mission of improving lives in our community through horses!  Click the link below to donate today!

March Testimonials

Rider Spotlight  - Chelsea Grooms-Perez

Healing Hoof Steps has been instrumental in helping me find the root of my anxiety, and has given me tools to help me minimize and sometimes even completely avoid panic attacks. My relationships are better than ever as we practice what I learn in my sessions! All of our conflicts end peacefully with all parties satisfied. Thank you, HHS, for being such a huge part of my healing journey.

Volunteer Spotlight - Sarah Ervin

I love volunteering at Healing Hoofsteps.  Seeing riders progress makes my heart so happy. Not just riding skills progress either!

Some of the riders I work with are non-verbal, yet they learn to communicate. We have students who couldn't speak telling horses to "Walk on" or "Woah" during lessons.  I also work with riders with anxiety. Students who wouldn't let go of the saddle at a walk learn to be brave enough to try steering at the trot, or riding unclipped.

Giving these special riders an opportunity to socialize with folks, and spend time with beautiful animals is the best. It brightens up my day.

Thank you to all of our clients, staff, community and volunteers who have become part of our journey! We are all so fortunate to have the opportunity provide our services to the community!

Sincerely,

Narissa Jenkins

CEO, Founder

Healing Hoof Steps